Five Strange & Spooky Car Noises You Shouldn’t Ignore

Fall is here and people everywhere are getting into the season with pumpkins, festive decorations and creative costumes. While it’s fun for people to embrace the fall festiveness, it’s not so much if your vehicle gets in on the action with strange and spooky noises. If your car or truck begins to make abnormal sounds, those sounds are not a Halloween trick—it’s your vehicle trying to tell you something is wrong. If you hear any strange noises from your car, don’t ignore it: take it in to your local Christian Brothers Automotive shop for a diagnostic service and repair as soon as possible!

Here are common noises your car makes that indicate something is wrong.

Loud Squealing When Stopping

When you press on the brake pedal, do you suddenly hear a loud, shrill, ear-piercing squeal that sounds like its coming from your wheels? It probably is—this is the sound that your brake pads are low. Your brake pads come equipped with a tiny piece of metal that rubs against your brake rotor when the pads reach a critically low level and need to be replaced. When you start hearing the squealing, you don’t have a lot of stopping power left in those particular pads, so you need to schedule a brake service and pad replacement as soon as possible to ensure your car stays safe. If your car is currently doing this, now’s a good time to get this service done so your car is ready and prepared to handle the wet and possibly icy weather coming in the months ahead.

Fast-Paced Blinker

When you flip on your blinker, does it seem to be flashing at double or triple the pace it’s normally running at? This isn’t a sign that your blinker is in turbo mode—it’s your car telling you that one of the bulbs in your blinker is either burned out or is on the verge of burning out. At the next chance you get, flip your blinker on and check both your front and rear blinker lights. If one seems dim or isn’t working, replace the bulb. Alternatively, if this doesn’t solve the problem, you may be experiencing a dying flasher relay. These are rare, but they happen and can usually be fixed with an inexpensive part.

Squealing From Under the Hood

Does your car squeal violently when you start your car? This is usually caused by one of the belts beneath the hood being loose. Over time, these rubber belts can stretch out and no longer have the tension they need to operate successfully. In some cases, this is a nuisance, such as with your air conditioner belt. However, if it’s your serpentine belt, this could be much worse. If your car has a timing belt, this is the worst of all. Schedule an inspection to have the belts checked by a professional if you’re hearing this unsettling noise.

Sluggish Groans When Starting

If your car is struggling to turn over and makes groaning sounds similar to the ones your teenager makes when you try to wake them up on the weekend, you’re probably looking at a dying battery. Car batteries need to be replaced every couple of years or so, and when they give out they tend to groan, croak, and eventually leave your car sitting there dead and unmoving. Replacing a battery isn’t difficult, but nobody wants to be stuck pleading for someone to give them a jump start. If you suspect your battery is giving out, replace it as soon as possible!

Rumbling Under the Driver’s Seat

Is your driver’s seat noticeably vibrating and there seems to be a dull roar coming from underneath? This is because there’s a leak in your exhaust manifold, and all of the noise that’s normally filtered out by your muffler is instead escaping through this leak. This isn’t even the worst part of this problem: the leak is likely venting dangerous carbon monoxide into your car’s cabin, which can be lethal in such a small space. Bring your car in and have it checked straight away.

Likewise, an exhaust leak can also cause you to fail a smog inspection if your state requires it, so putting it off will only lead to more expenses down the line.

About Christian Brothers Automotive

Since our origin in 1982 in Houston, Texas, Christian Brothers Automotive has sought to change the way people think of car repair shops by providing honest, upfront and dependable car care. Each of our locations is locally owned and operated providing full service auto repair solutions.